Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed this week to continue “doing what it takes to defend itself” against Tehran, including fighting Iran's alleged presence in Syria and Lebanon.
In a fiery message aimed at Tel Aviv, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps deputy commander Brig. Gen. Hossein Salami issued a warning to Israel.
“I tell the prime minister of the Zionist regime to practice swimming in the Mediterranean because soon you will have no choice but [to] flee into the sea,” Salami said, speaking at a rally in Isfahan, central Iran on Friday, according to Fars News.
“They are not at the level of being a threat for us; Hezbollah is enough for destroying them,” the commander added, addressing IRGC volunteers.
Accusing Tel Aviv of deceiving the world about Iran, the senior officer accused Israel of acting as a “political mannequin” in the US shop window.
Turning his ire toward Washington, Salami charged the US with spending $7 trillion on wars in the Middle East, adding that the US has been defeated with each effort. “We do not have military bases anywhere, and our presence in Syria is limited, which represents our values,” he added, referring to the source and scope of Iran's regional influence.
Salami also praised what he called the “thunderous” October 1 missile strikes against Daesh* in Syria, which Iran launched in retaliation following the September 22 terrorist attack on a…
